Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 138

CHAPTER 86-2

For the rest of the morning, Mia worked harder than I’d ever seen her work. She called customers who had appointments, reassured them that the rumours were completely false, and explained that Lawson Customs had been operating honestly for years.

She contacted suppliers who hadn’t cancelled yet and asked them to confirm upcoming deliveries.

She even started responding to some of the online comments.

I helped where I could, although my frustration grew with every hour.

By lunchtime, the shelves looked even emptier.

“This is going to hurt us.” I admitted and Mia looked at me.

“Only if we let it.” She said.

“I don’t know how much longer we can operate if suppliers keep pulling out.” I said.

“We’ll find new ones.” She said.

“That easy?” I asked.

“No. But we’re not exactly known for doing easy things.” She said and I laughed.

“Fair point.” I said.

The bell above the front door rang and I looked up and saw George Miller walking inside.

He was one of our oldest customers, and he’d been bringing his motorcycle to Lawson Customs

for years.

He looked around the shop.

“What happened?” He asked.

“You’ve heard.” I said.

“I have.” He said and I waited as George shook his head.

“I don’t believe a word of it.” He added.

“What?” I asked.

“These rumours. People have been talking, but I’ve known this place for years.” He said as he

walked toward the counter.

His voice grew louder as another customer entered.

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“I’ve seen Paige work here until her hands were covered in grease, and I’ve watched her help people who couldn’t afford expensive repairs.” George added as he pointed toward the workshop.

this place was some criminal operation, I wouldn’t have brought my motorcycle here for the last six years.” He continued and the other customer smiled..

“Same.” The man said and I looked at him.

“You believe us?” I asked.

“Of course.” He said and another customer stepped through the door.

“So do I.” He said.

Within minutes, people were talking. Some had heard the rumours and some had seen the posts.

But most of them had known us long enough to understand that they were lies.

George stood near the entrance and continued talking.

“People can say whatever they want online, but I’ll tell you what I know. That woman has helped

half this town keep their bikes running.” George said as he pointed toward me and I felt my throat

tighten.

“George.” I said.

“No. I’m saying it.” He said shaking his head and a few customers laughed.

“You’ve helped me more than once. You’ve never overcharged me, you’ve never lied about repairs,

and you’ve never treated anyone differently because they didn’t have much money.” He continued

and I smiled.

“Thank you.” I said and he nodded.

“You don’t need to thank me.” He said.

More customers arrived throughout the afternoon, and although business was slower than usual,

the people who came through the door made their choice very clear.

They weren’t leaving. One regular customer even brought coffee for everyone. Another offered to

post a review defending the business.

By closing time, I was exhausted, but the emptiness in my chest had eased slightly.

Mia locked the front door while I turned off the workshop lights.

“Not a bad day.” She said.

“Considering half our suppliers abandoned us and somebody called us criminals, I’d say it was

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CHAPTER 86 2

terrible.” I said and she laughed.

“You know what I mean.” She said and I smiled.

“Yeah.” I said.

We stepped outside, and I pulled the shutters down. As I locked the final door, I noticed a car

parked farther down the street. The driver wasn’t looking at me.-

At least, not directly so I watched for several seconds before the car pulled away and something

about it bothered me.

I returned inside and Mia had already grabbed her bag.

“You coming?” She asked.

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